'American Dirt,' novel on migrants, ignites literary controversy

Hailed by luminaries such as Stephen King and Oprah Winfrey, 'American Dirt' was touted as the next "great American novel," bought for a seven-figure advance, backed by aggressive marketing and launched last week to great fanfare in both English and Spanish. Instead of glory, however, author Jeanine Cummins finds herself at the heart of a cultural maelstrom, accused by some of exploiting the tragedy of Mexican migrants in a US election year and of validating stereotypes such as those used by President Donald Trump to fuel his anti-immigration rhetoric. The book tells the story of a Mexican woman who owns a bookshop and flees on the notoriously dangerous cargo train known as 'The Beast' that...